Hiking staff

ABSTRACT

A bamboo hiking staff has multiple grip members for adjusting the effective length of the staff when walking over variable terrain.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based upon and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/588,609 filed Jul. 15, 2004 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates to hiking staffs. In particular, the invention involves a type of walking or hiking stick that is lightweight, durable, and versatile for use on irregular and varying terrain.

Hiking sticks and poles have been used for years to assist people in walking on all types of terrain including urban settings, forest trails, and mountains. Walking sticks may be helpful for people who have physical disabilities. However, hiking sticks and poles are also commonly used by healthy people who desire assistance with balance, or simply to transfer load to the upper body.

Many walking stick designs have been used in the past. One problem with previous walking sticks is that they are not versatile for use on terrain of varying pitch. For example, when hiking in the woods, the walking stick may be fixed for support on ground that is on a different level than the hiker's feet, either higher or lower. Also when traversing a slope, the hiker may want the walking stick for support on the uphill side, or alternatively, for support on the downhill side.

Another problem with some walking sticks is that they are too heavy, and therefore burdensome over long distances. Other more lightweight sticks may be insufficiently rigid, or even prone to break or fail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a front view of a walking stick.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up view of windings used on a preferred example of a walking stick.

DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a preferred example of a hiking staff 10. Bamboo shaft 12 has multiple nodes or joints 14. A pair of grip members 16 a and 16 b are provided on an upper portion of staff 10. Grip members 16 a and 16 b are positioned to define a third gripping region 17 which may be the exposed surface of bamboo shaft 12. Rubber cap 18 is provided at the bottom end of staff 10 to interface with the ground.

Reinforcement windings 20 are provided between joints 14 to strengthen shaft 12 to help resist cracking of the bamboo stick.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of portions of staff 10 including upper gripping portion 16 a and the enforcement winding 20.

One feature of the walking stick shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 relates to the gripping system. The gripping system may be referred to as a “split-grip” design. Bamboo works well for the rigid shaft because it is light and strong. Bamboo also feels good when it is gripped. Additionally, positive gripping services may be provided on the bamboo for allowing a more firm grip. The split grip works well for this purpose.

The grip winding begins by placing the end of the cord (end A) parallel on the stick. The cord is then coiled around the stick and over the parallel portion of the cords; winding the cord towards the top of the stick. When the proper number of coils has been reached, the end of the cord (end B) is passed underneath the last four coils and pulled out between the fourth and fifth coils. End B is then cut close to the coils.

The grip itself is made of three-cord cotton twine, for example, 1/16-inch in diameter. The twine may be colored in a dye bath. The twine is tightly wound around the bamboo using a macrame technique, which will be explained in more detail below. Hot water is then poured over the windings which shrinks the cotton cord, making the grip tightened around the bamboo. In the final procedure of constructing the grip, ends of the grip are impregnated with paraffin wax to protect exposed ends from wear.

In a preferred design, there may be approximately 75-feet of cotton twine in the gripping surface. The cotton grip is soft, very durable, absorbs perspiration, and retains its gripping property even when completely wet. Gauze tape may also be used for the gripping surface. However, gauze tape is inferior compared to wound cotton twine.

Bamboo, like wood, may crack if exposed to weather for a prolonged, period of time. To protect against moisture intrusion and cracking, the stick may be covered, except for the exposed gripping surface, with a lacquer finish. As a further guard against cracking and as an additional strengthening device, reinforcement windings may be added between the joints. A different form of macrame technique may be used to construct the reinforcement windings. Windings are then impregnated fully with paraffin wax to weatherproof them and give them additional strength.

FIG. 3 shows the macrame winding techniques for making the grips, and the reinforcements. The grip winding begins by placing the end of the cord (end A) parallel on the stick. The cord is then coiled around the stick and over the parallel portion of the cord; winding the cord towards the top of the stick. When the proper number of coils has been reached, the end of the cord (end B) is passed underneath the last four coils and pulled out between the fourth and fifth coils. End b is then cut close to the coils.

As shown in FIG. 2, the reinforcement winding begins by placing the end of the cord (end AA) parallel along the stick. The cord is then coiled around the stick and over a portion of end M, while leaving a few inches of end AA exposed. After the required number of coils has been attained, end BB is passed over end M, then underneath the coils and underneath end AA until a few inches of end BB is exposed. End AA and end BB are then pulled tightly against each other (thereby tightening the coils), and then, ends AA and BB are cut off close to the coils.

Unlike other grip designs that keep the user's hand in one position (like a molded grip or strap design), the split-grip design helps prevent the users hand from becoming tired or cramped by offering two different gripping surfaces and freely allowing multiple hand positions.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the foregoing preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as variously described and defined above. The description of the invention should be understood to include all novel and non-obvious combinations of elements described herein. 

1. A walking stick comprising: a bamboo shaft member having an upper end, a lower end, an upper half portion, a lower half portion, an average diameter, and a plurality of internodal segments, the bamboo shaft member being substantially straight, at least two grip members disposed around the upper half portion of the bamboo shaft member, an exposed gripping portion of the shaft interposed between the grip members, and a durable cap on the lower end of the bamboo shaft member.
 2. The walking stick of claim 1, wherein a first grip member is disposed around the bamboo shaft member near the upper end of the bamboo shaft member, and a second grip member is disposed around the bamboo shaft member a predetermined fixed distance below the first grip member, and wherein the predetermined fixed distance is approximately the same as the width of the grip members.
 3. The walking stick of claim 2, wherein each of the grip members comprise a three-cord material helically wound around the bamboo shaft member, an upper and lower end of the grip member, and a sealing material applied to the upper and lower ends of the grip members.
 4. The walking stick of claim 3, wherein the three-cord material comprises a cotton cord.
 5. A method of manufacturing the walking stick of claim 4 comprising the steps of helically winding the cotton cord about the bamboo shaft member, pouring hot water onto the cotton cord after the cotton cord has been helically wound about the bamboo shaft member, and applying the sealing material to the upper and lower ends of the grip members.
 6. A walking stick comprising: a bamboo shaft member having an upper end, a lower end, an upper half portion, a lower half portion, an average diameter, and a plurality of internodal segments, a plurality of reinforcing members disposed around the bamboo shaft member within one or more of the internodal segments of the bamboo shaft member, there being only one reinforcing member disposed around the bamboo shaft member within each of the internodal segments, and the reinforcing members each having a width that is approximately equal to the average diameter of the bamboo shaft member plus or minus one-half of the average diameter.
 7. The walking stick of claim 6, wherein each of the reinforcing members comprises: a three-cord material wound around a fractional portion of one of the internodal segments of the bamboo shaft member; and a sealing material impregnated into each of the reinforcing members.
 8. The walking stick of claim 7, wherein the three-cord material further comprises: a cotton cord; and the cotton cord has been shrunk by the application of hot water to the cotton cord after the cotton cord has been windingly disposed around the bamboo shaft member.
 9. The walking stick of claim 6, further comprising: a first grip member disposed around the bamboo shaft member near the upper end of the bamboo shaft member; a second grip member disposed around the bamboo shaft member a predetermined fixed distance below the first grip member; and an exposed portion of the bamboo shaft member interposed between the grip members.
 10. The walking stick of claim 9, wherein each of the grip members comprise: a three-cord material helically wound around the bamboo shaft member; an upper and lower end of the grip member; and a sealing material applied to the upper and lower ends of the grip members.
 11. The walking stick of claims 9 or 10, wherein each of the reinforcing members comprise: a three-cord material wound around a fractional portion of one of the internodal segments of the bamboo shaft member; and a sealing material impregnated into each of the reinforcing members. 